Roycroft Arts & Crafts Silver Finished Hammered Copper Rocker Blotter
By Roycroft
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Arts & Crafts period acid silver finished hammered copper rocker ink blotter By Roycroft (signed with impressed orb and cross mark) USA, Early 20th Century Measures: 6"...
Silver, Copper
$420Sale Price|30% Off
Stone block holder with red tones, silver appliqués, and raised flower lid
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Stone block holder with red tones, silver applications and a raised flower on the lid. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: javali II Title. Weight: 855.74 grams. D...
Silver
$1,400Sale Price|30% Off
Stamp box in embossed silver w/ wooden interior & five compartments, hinged lid
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Stamp box in embossed silver with wooden interior and five compartments, hinged lid. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: Javali I Title. Weight: 350.61 grams. Dime...
Silver
$525Sale Price|30% Off
Silver fountain pen with triple gold trim and pine cone-shaped pommel
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver fountain pen with triple gold stripe and pine cone-shaped pommel. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: Javali II. Title: Weight: 35.76 grams. Dimensions: 19c...
Silver
Tortoiseshell and Silver Stationery Box William Comyns
By William Comyns
Located in Northampton, GB
Raised on Four Sterling Silver Scrollwork Legs From our Writing Box collection, we are pleased to offer this Tortoiseshell and Silver Stationery Box by William Comyns. The Stationer...
Silver
Heintz Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Matchbox Holder
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze matchbox holder By Heintz Art Metal Shop USA, Early 20th Century Measures: 2.5"W x 1.5"D x 0.75"H. Good ori...
Sterling Silver, Bronze
$420Sale Price|30% Off
Task pad in rosewood w/ silver applications w/ the inscription: "Don't forget"
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Task pad in rosewood with silver applications with the inscription: "Do not forget". Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: boar II Title. Weight: 229.08 grams. Dimen...
Silver
$256Sale Price|65% Off
Silver blotter with cutout handle and stone Art Nouveau base
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver blotter with cutout and relief on the handle, on a stone base in the Art Nouveau style. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: Javali II Title. Weight: 444.12 ...
Silver
Heintz Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Inkwell
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze inkwell By Heintz Art Metal Shop USA, Early 20th Century Measures: 5.38"W x 5.38"D x 2.5"H Good orig...
Bronze, Sterling Silver
Swedish silver-plated Seal Stamp in Art Nouveau
Located in Knivsta, SE
Swedish silver-plated Seal Stamp in Art Nouveau. Made by GAB, Guldsmedsaktiebolaget, Sweden during the early 20th Century. The stamp with the initials T.R. The silver plating with p...
Metal
William Hornby - Patented Silver Seal Stamp - Retailed by Asprey in 1902
By WILLIAM HORNBY, LONDON (1898-1913), Asprey International Limited
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in London in 1902 by William Hornby, and retailed originally by Asprey of London, this handsome, Edwardian, Antique Sterling Silver Seal Stamp, is a patented design where ...
Sterling Silver
The early Victorian silver Rococo Revival inkstand of General Charles Nepean
By Robinson, Edkins, & Aston
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
The early Victorian silver Rococo Revival inkstand of General Charles Nepean, of rectangular form, with two silver mounted, cut glass inkwells, flanking a central wax holder, surmoun...
Silver
Heintz Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Pen Tray
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze pen tray, desk tray, or catchall By Heintz Art Metal Shop USA, Early 20th Century Measures: 9.88"W x ...
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Heintz Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Letter Rack
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze desk letter holder rack By Heintz Art Metal Shop USA, Early 20th Century Measures: 6"W x 2.5"D x 4.2...
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Art Nouveau Silver-plated Metal And Glazed Ceramic Pen Tray – France, Circa 1900
Located in Bilzen, BE
Object description : "Art Nouveau Silver-plated Metal And Glazed Ceramic Pen Tray – France, Circa 1900" Antique French Art Nouveau Silver-Plated Pen Tray with Glazed Ceramic Inset (c...
Silver Plate
Heintz Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Bookends
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous pair of antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze bookends By Heintz Art Metal Shop USA, Early 20th Century Each measures: 5.63"W x 4.63"D x 5....
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Royal Leather Presentation Portfolio with Watercolor and Silver Mounts
Located in San Francisco, CA
This elegant leather document holder, ornamented with a romantic inset watercolor, contains a formal presentation address written in a decorative 19th-century German script. The docu...
Metal
$525Sale Price|30% Off
Wooden stamp box with silver applications on the casing and hinged lid
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Wooden stamp box with silver applications on the casing and on the hinged lid. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: javali II Title. Weight: 290.61 grams. Dimension...
Silver
Pair of Sing Fat Chinese Export Silver Dragon Placecard or Business Card Holders
By Sing Fat
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine pair of antique silver figural card holders. By Sing Fat, a highly regarded Chinese silversmith active in both Shanghai & Canton ca. 1880 - 1940. Each holder in the form of ...
Silver
German Art Nouveau Silver and Blue Hardstone Seal, circa 1900 with 'RE' initials
Located in Spencertown, NY
The blue and rust colored hardstone mounted en cage in silver inset with 4 oval moonstones and ‘RE’ seal. Hallmarked with 800 silver mounts, ‘X’ makers mark,
Silver
$10,990Sale Price|30% Off
A Rare Austrian Art Nouveau Silver and Enamel Owl Seal by Georg Adam Scheid
Located in Long Island City, NY, NY
Charming and Rare Austrian Art Nouveau Silver and Enamel Owl Seal by Georg Adam Scheid. A rare and enchanting work of Viennese decorative art, this early 20th-century Austrian silve...
Silver, Enamel
Heintz Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Notepad Holder With Pen Rest
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze notepad holder with pen rest By Heintz Art Metal Shop USA, Early 20th Century Measures: 4"W x 6.38"D ...
Sterling Silver, Bronze
Heintz Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver on Bronze Pen Tray
By Heintz Art Metal Shop
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Arts & Crafts or Art Deco period sterling silver on bronze pen tray By Heintz Art Metal Shop USA, Early 20th Century Measures: 10"W x 3.13"D x 0.63"H Good orig...
Sterling Silver, Bronze
$420Sale Price|30% Off
Silver tower-shaped pen holder resting on a base with four half-ball feet
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver tower-shaped pen holder resting on a base with four half-ball feet. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: Javali II. Title: Weight: 64.92 grams. Dimensions: 1...
Silver
A Very Good & Large Art Deco Sterling Silver Stamp Box, Hallmarked London 1913
By WILLIAM HORNBY, LONDON (1898-1913)
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A very handsome & substantial early 20th century Art Deco sterling silver stamp box. The case richly decorated overall with striking basket-weave & herringbone machined motif...
Sterling Silver
$1,638Sale Price / set|20% Off
Victorian Silver Plate Writing Slope In The Shape of a Book With Compartments
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Unusual Victorian Oak Desk Slope In The Shape of a Book With Internal Divisional Sections Complete With With Two Cut Glass Inkwells Bound With Silver Plate Decorative Idents Inkwel...
Silver Plate
Pair French Silvered Bronze Lions Mask Plinths w/ Hand-Carved Rock Crystal Orbs
Located in New York, NY
A Pair of Incredible French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Silvered Bronze Lions Mask Plinths with Hand-Carved and Hand-Polished Rock Crystal Orbs. Boasting sumptuous French Regency d...
Rock Crystal, Bronze
$825Sale Price / set|44% Off
Gilded Age Silver Plated and Crystal Writing Desk Set
Located in Sheffield, MA
The antique silver-on-copper and crystal pen and ink desk set is composed a footed tray with two indentations for feathered pens or writing instruments, two lidded ink bottles with b...
Crystal, Silver Plate
Sevres Style "Silvered" Rectangular Pink-Ground Box and Cover, Pen Tray
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A Sevres style "Silvered" rectangular pink-ground box and cover, pen tray painted with pink and silvered cabbage roses beneath a silvered rim; the front painted with a "romantic" sc...
Sèvres
Late 19th Century Aesthetic Letter Rack Dr Christopher Dresser
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Late 19th Century Victorian Hukin & Heath letter rack in the manner of Dr Christopher Dresser. A sculptural and highly original silver-plated letter rack by Hukin & Heath, designed...
Silver Plate
Handsome Letter Opener, Magnifying Glass with Alligator Handles, Sterling Mounts
Located in Buchanan, MI
Handsome letter opener, magnifying glass with alligator handles, sterling mounts.
Silver, Stainless Steel
Antique Cow Horn Table Gong
Located in Ipswich, GB
Antique Cow Horn Table Gong. Lovely quality original brass circular gong flanked by a pair of cow horns with silver plated mounts standing on a quality circular oak base, complete wi...
Silver Plate
19th Century - 4 Silver Sets of Desk Accessories
Located in Porto, PT
19th Century - 4 Silver Sets of Desk Accessories. Portuguese from the 19th centuries, consisting of a fountain pen and seal, nib and pencil case, fountain pen and letter opener.
Silver
19th Century - Set of 4 Silver Desk Accessories
Located in Porto, PT
19th Century - Set of 4 Silver Desk Accessories. Portuguese, 19th century, in embossed silver, comprising: box, jewelry box, tie box and notepad holder in wood with silver applicatio...
Silver
Set of Desk and Writing Instruments in Fitted Leather Box, 19th Century
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This lovely three-piece 19th century writing set consists of a pen with silver tip, letter opener of mother of pearl with agate handle and silver connector and a detailed intaglio en...
Agate, Silver
Russian Lapis Lazuli, Silver-Gilt and Gem-Set Paper Weight Desk Clock
Located in New York, NY
This magnificent old desk clock is an antique collector's dream. The details on this desk clock are beautiful. It is designed with Russian Lapis and Gilt-silver, paired with a white ...
Lapis Lazuli, Ruby, Silver, Gilt Metal
$1,280Sale Price|55% Off
Boucheron Antique Miniature Oil Painting Set in a Silver Desk Frame Paris c 1870
By Boucheron
Located in Aspen, CO
Frederic Boucheron small ornate frame holding a fine miniature oil painting. Probably designed by Jules Debut, a major designer for Boucheron in the late 19th century. 1988. He des...
Silver
$3,850Sale Price|30% Off
Silver inkwell with two tanks, bell, pen holder and set on three raised feet
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver inkwell with two reservoirs, bell, pen holder and set on three raised feet. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portugal. Brand: Lisbon Crown. Weight: 579.89 grams. Dimensions...
Silver
$4,200Sale Price|30% Off
Silver inkwell with rack, bell, two tanks, pen holder and set on four claw feet
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver inkwell with rack, bell, two reservoirs, pen stand and resting on four claw feet. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: Lisbon Crown. Weight: 596.45 grams. Di...
Silver
$700Sale Price|30% Off
Set of inkwells with wooden base - calendar
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Set of inkwells with wooden base and silver applications - calendar with removable sheets. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: javali II Title. Weight: 1696.52 gra...
Silver
Napoleon III French Leather Cased 3-Piece Sterling and Agate Desk -Writing Set
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This set combines sterling silver, polished shell, and agate to create functional and decorative writing accessories, perfect for collectors or those with a love of classic desk deco...
Silver Plate, Sterling Silver
Antique Scottish Silver & Rams Horn Snuff Mulls Scotland 1909 / 1910
Located in London, GB
A magnificent Antique Scottish Silver Pair of Silver Mounted Ram's Horn Desk Set / Mess Hall Centrepieces comprising of an Inkwell and a traditional Snuff Mull.
Sterling Silver
Rare 19th Century "Yachting" Maritime Desk Set with Historic Monogram
Located in London, GB
A rare nautical desk set The lockable oak felt-lined case, embossed with the initials 'AL' of the original owner, houses twelve writing implements and accessories, constructed in ...
Silver Plate, Metal
$4,400Sale Price|20% Off
American Art Nouveau Paperclip with Long-Tressed Nymph
By Graff, Washbourne & Dunn
Located in New York, NY
Art Nouveau sterling silver paper clip. Made by Graff, Washbourne & Dunn in New York, ca 1900. Long-tressed nymph emerges from the water with bosom concealed by waterlily pads. In re...
Sterling Silver
$1,421Sale Price|25% Off
Edwardian 1905 Handle Desk Magnifier Glass in Sterling Silver and Bamboo Wood
Located in Miami, FL
Desk magnifier glass from the Edwardian Period. Very beautiful and decorative piece, created during the Edwardian period, back in the 1905. This magnifier desk glass is very usefu...
Silver, Sterling Silver
Whether you’ve carved out a space for a nifty home office or you prefer the morning commute, why not dress up your desk with antique and vintage desk accessories? To best tiptoe the line between desk efficiency and desk enjoyment, we suggest adding a touch of the past to your modern-day space.
Desks are a funny thing. Their basic premise has remained the same for quite literally centuries: a flat surface, oftentimes a drawer, and potentially a shelf or two. However, the contents that lay upon the desk? Well, the evolution has been drastic to say the least.
Thank the Victorians for the initial popularity of the paperweight. The Industrial Revolution offered the novel concept of leisure-time to Europeans, giving them more time to take part in the then crucial activity of letter writing. Decorative glass paperweight designs were all the rage, and during the mid-19th-century some of the most popular makers included the French companies of Baccarat, St. Louis and Clichy.
As paper was exceedingly expensive in the early to mid-19th-century, every effort was made to utilize a full sheet of it. Paper knives, which gave way to the modern letter opener, were helpful for cutting paper down to an appropriate size.
Books — those bound volumes of paper, you may recall — used to be common occurrences on desks of yore and where there were books there needed to be bookends. As a luxury item, bookend designs have run the gamut from incorporating ultra-luxurious materials (think marble and Murano glass) to being whimsical desk accompaniments (animal figurines were highly popular choices).
Though the inkwell’s extinction was ushered in by the advent of the ballpoint pen (itself quasi-obsolete at this point), there is still significant charm to be had from placing one of these bauble-like objets in a central spot on one’s desk. You may be surprised to discover the mood-boosting powers an antique — and purposefully empty — inkwell can provide.
The clamor for desk clocks arose as the Industrial Revolution transitioned labor from outdoors to indoors, and allowed for the mass-production of clock parts in factories. Naturally, elaborate designs soon followed and clocks could be found made by artisans and luxury houses like Cartier.
Find antique and vintage desk accessories today on 1stDibs.
The French sculptor shaped dense blocks into tactile forms meant to be used and held.
After synthetic dyes changed fashion, home goods and printed matter, it was only a matter of time till glass caught up.
The brilliantly simple design turns a modest bouquet into a major statement.
The Greek tragedian is said to have been handsome in his day.
Even for those who don’t indulge, elegant smoking accessories and audacious art portraying cigar enthusiasts hold a nostalgic allure.
It’s an excellent example of the sought-after ceramics coming out of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
The free-form stoneware piece is inspired by the magnolia tree and its associations with home.